Crash & Break

So yesterday I went out training on my road bike. I had taken the week off from work so that 1) I could spend some time with my wife and kids, and 2) to get some good serious miles into the legs on the bicycle.

Now I’ve been training approximately three times a week for the past few weeks. Whether it be on the turbo trainer, my rollers or on the open road. Anything to help get my general fitness up.

The weather hasn’t been the greatest this week, so when the sun made an appearance yesterday, I thought I’d make the most of it and get onto the bike. So I got changed, made up my water bottles, pumped my tyres and off I went.

I made my way up the A4 towards Reading. I felt really good going out, keeping an average of 31/32 kms/h (about 18.5 miles/h). After 20 km’s (about 12.4 miles) I decided to turn around and make my way home. With 10 km’s to go, I made my way onto one of the large two lane roundabouts with five exits on it. I had to take the fourth exit from where I was coming from.

The first exit I signalled right and made it across with no hassle. Approaching the second exit I signalled that I was going right and not turning off. The car behind me in my lane slowed down to let me cross, which I did. The car in the right hand lane didn’t seem to see me or my signalling and failed to slow down. With this, I had to pull back to the left to avoid going into the car’s path.

Unfortunately for me, I pulled too far to the left and now I was aiming directly for the curb in the road. I tried to correct myself but I had passed the point of return and I clipped it. Down I went. My shoulder and head took the brunt of the fall. My bike came over me and my feet then clipped out the pedals. The motion rolled me over onto my back. It all happened so quickly! Then the pain hit me. My head was pounding and I couldn’t move my arm. I swear I could see stars at that point. (My helmet is a write-off, but at least it did what it was intended for.)

After that everything felt like a lifetime to happen. Luckily for me, about six or seven people stopped to help. One lady, Hazel, was a nurse so I was in good hands. They called for an ambulance and for the police. The reason for the police was due to the fact that I wasn’t lying in the safest place on the side of a busy roundabout and they could help cone off the traffic.

The paramedic arrived and gave me loads of gas and air. It helped me to relax but didn’t do much for the pain. He called for an ambulance. When they arrived, the team loaded me up on some morphine (courtesy of the NHS) and helped get me into the back of their vehicle.

At this point my wife arrived, after the paramedic called her to let her know what had happened. She was very calm considering she didn’t know exactly how I had come down. The police helped load my bike in her car. Off we went to the hospital.

The paramedics were great and so were the hospital staff. I had some x-rays taken at the hospital (am waiting to get copies of these from the hospital), made an appointment to see the specialist and sent on my way.

So after a night of pain and very little sleep, I went back to the hospital this morning for my appointment with the specialist. Due to the severity of the break and the splintering of the bone, we decided to have a plate put in to help straighten the break. Am booked in for next Tuesday, 12 August. To be very honest, am not looking forward to it. But will do anything right now to get rid of or at least ease the pain. Plus, have been told I am not allowed to ride (or drive for that matter) for the next six weeks.

So, want to see how bad the break is, check out these two pics below. You will see how the bone pushes upwards on my left hand side. I’ll try and add the x-ray’s as soon as I get them.

Again, huge thanks to all those wonderful people that stopped to help me out, the NHS paramedics and the Thames Valley police. Most importantly, a massive massive thank you to my wife, for being an absolute saint for taking care of my every need the past two days.

shame my kind, dat jy nou so a gat van jouself maak. Sterke met die op. Dad and I will be thinking of you, and be there in the spirit on Tuesday. Do you think this accident warrents a visit from us? Mom

Craig try those breathing exercises, it does work, otherwise get Nina to go and get some anti spas meds at the pharmacy. If you cant get let me know and I will courier it from here to you. Also if you need stronger pain relief, just say the word: we can get anything here in good old South Africa. Love Mom

Dude,..Dude,..Dude ! – your now one of the elite few members of the “I’ve broken my Clavical & had it plated club” – well your gonna be come the 12th, Shuizzers dude,..hectic accident – did the Driver that caused the accident stop at all ?? – (When I broke mine – seen as I was in hopital for 3 months for other injuires sustained – they didn’t operate untill 2 months later in hope that it would mend and attach naturally (It sucked if I moved wrong in my sleep – then I’d awake in pain – on and off for 2 months), But allas the surgery was required (Its all good,..you got nothing to worry about), I also enjoy the counting down from 10 before the op, then waking up high as a kite on morphine (LOL!!!)

Dude, Well its good to see you were back on the bike – dont let the incident detour you, And good luck for the op & get well soon.